Liszt's easiest pieces

[Tibor]

I want to play something from Liszt. What do you think, what are his easiest pieces?

[julie391]

nuages gris - and other late minimalistic liszt pieces are technically easy - though hard to interpret

there are many different periods in liszt's music - there is the flashy young virtuoso - the religous middle aged introverted liszt, and the final futuristic and innovative liszt.

what kinda stuff are you lookin for?

[Sketchee]

it depends on your definition of easy; he did write quite a few very easy works and you can find something for almost every level of play. He was a very prolific composer.

The "La lugubre gondola" pieces are fairly easy as are the first and third Consolation.  The fifth is also managable although less so depending on your level.  Easier than either of those is Abschied which is very sweet, short and simple. 

[julie391]

but i dont think youll find any 'easy' liszt works of the flashy mould

[Ed Thomas]

That made me curious.  When I look at a piece by composers I've played before, usually it is at least a little familiar.  I might not be able to techically play it, but I can recognize a lot of it.  Are there a few "typical" Liszt piece that sort of lead you into his world fairly gently?

[julie391]

there are, as i have said - a few different 'typical liszts'

i dont think you can be gently introduced into his fiery works

but the consolations may be your best avenue into his 'soppy' side

[Sketchee]

I just remembered another one, En Reve.  It's a simple little nocturne.  It's easy to read with mostly just accompaniment and melody. I used to keep it among my sightreading material but I'm too familiar with it now

None of the -easiest- pieces have all the elements of Liszt's most recognized style.   Some of the elements of his usual composition is in each of these though.  The closest one to being not technically difficult and I think has his usual style is the third Consolation. It's famous and not too difficult at all.  There's even a brief slow cadenza. The tempo is slow so you can take your time with the piece.

[donjuan]

I prefer consolation no 2 to no 3.  By the way julie, Liszt was more religious toward the end of his life.  i would say he is more innovative in his middle age years (1840-1860) with the opera transcriptions.  the later works are kind of difficult to understand because he is passing into obscurity in terms of harmony and melody that breaks rules-leaving you hanging at the end of a piece. 

Tibor, you need to be more specific in what kind of Liszt you are most interested in playing- virtuosic stuff, innocent stuff, light and feathery stuff, diabolical stuff? cmon..give us a hand here

donjuan

[mosis]

I prefer consolation no 2 to no 3.  By the way julie, Liszt was more religious toward the end of his life.  i would say he is more innovative in his middle age years (1840-1860) with the opera transcriptions.  the later works are kind of difficult to understand because he is passing into obscurity in terms of harmony and melody that breaks rules-leaving you hanging at the end of a piece. 

Tibor, you need to be more specific in what kind of Liszt you are most interested in playing- virtuosic stuff, innocent stuff, light and feathery stuff, diabolical stuff? cmon..give us a hand here

donjuan

What are some pieces from this period? I'd be very interested in hearing them.

[julie391]

well, i do concur that his middle period was full of great innovations - i think his very last period was the most groundbreaking

i truly believe that liszt is one of the most greatest composers of all time and possibly the most innovative of ALL

he forged new vistas in piano technique, and inspired atonality - ala schoenberg, and impressionism - ala ravel/debussy.

he also foreshadowed philip glass and other minimaliszt composers!

oh AND he kicked off the nationalist movement - he inspired other composers to take influence and pride in their own national folk music.

what a guy!

[donjuan]

I prefer consolation no 2 to no 3.  By the way julie, Liszt was more religious toward the end of his life.  i would say he is more innovative in his middle age years (1840-1860) with the opera transcriptions.  the later works are kind of difficult to understand because he is passing into obscurity in terms of harmony and melody that breaks rules-leaving you hanging at the end of a piece. 

Tibor, you need to be more specific in what kind of Liszt you are most interested in playing- virtuosic stuff, innocent stuff, light and feathery stuff, diabolical stuff? cmon..give us a hand here

donjuan

What are some pieces from this period? I'd be very interested in hearing them.

The latest work of Liszt I have actually played is from the third year of Pilgrimage "Les Jeau d'eau a la villa d'Este".  it is perhaps the best musical depiction of a fountain I have ever heard.  Have a lis(z)ten to the 4 Valse oubliees- my favorite is no. 4, but the most common is no.1.  Liszt's final Hungarian Rhapsody no.19 is very emotional for me to listen to, because it shares much of the same Gypsy tone as Hungarian Rhapsody no.2, but it is so bittersweet because Liszt is a VERY old guy (he was 75 when he wrote it, and died later that same year), so it affects me much to the same effect as the forgotton waltzes.  Other later works of Liszt I enjoy, but have had to learn to enjoy:
Czardas Macabre;
Ungarische (this one is so neato);
En reve;
Nuages Gris (sombre clouds);
Unstern: Sinistre, Disastro;
La Lugubre Gondola I and II,
and many more...

a good representation of a piece during Liszt's transition phase into the later style is his monumental Fantasia and Fugue on the theme BACH, originally for organ, but transcribed for piano in 1870.

Check it out Mosis!
donjuan

[Sketchee]

I prefer consolation no 2 to no 3. 

I left that one out because it's more  tricky than the other Consolations.  It's a nice one though.

[rachlisztchopin]

I agree with julie 

[bernhard]

I want to play something from Liszt. What do you think, what are his easiest pieces?

Have a look here as well:


https://pianoforum.net/smf/index.php/topic,4094.msg38101.html#msg38101

Best wishes,
Bernhard.